Organizations that do large mailings continuously seek to produce envelopes stuffed with inserts in as efficient and fast a manner as possible. However at the same time, it is often desirable to provide variably imaged indicia on the inserts provided in tile envelope, which requires intelligent matching of the inserts with the envelope, and/or the inserts with each other.
One particularly suitable general technique for large volume production of insert-stuffed mailing envelopes is to form the envelopes around the inserts. Typically this is accomplished by applying adhesive on individual envelope blanks, placing the inserts in contact with the envelope blanks, and by a combination of plough and buckle folding, forming the envelope blanks around the inserts with the adhesive portions sealing the envelope together. While such techniques are certainly effective, it is desirable to be able to produce the final stuffed mailing envelopes at higher speed than is conventionally provided.
According to the present invention, high speed production of stuffed mailing envelopes is accomplished. The invention is particularly advantageous in that the entire mailing envelopes can be constructed starting with individual rolls of paper. Additional pre-formed cut sheet inserts can also be added, if desired.
The invention is also advantageous in that all scoring and subsequent flap folding is accomplished by parallel plough folders, allowing considerably higher operating speeds for thick, bulky, and variable random thickness inserts which typically have trouble traversing standard buckle folding devices. Also, according to invention the inserts produced from the webs of paper are web collated, which is faster, more reliable, and more efficient than collating individual personalized sheets, and the inserts are placed on the envelope blanks while the envelope blanks are still in web form, again optimizing speed while minimizing handling difficulties Further, when the final mailing envelope is being formed, it is moved from traveling in a first direction to traveling in a second substantially transverse direction by utilizing a 45.degree. conveying mechanism, which positively contains the inserts on the envelope blank face while facilitating high speed transfer.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of automatically forming a mailing envelope with a plurality of contained insert sheets from at least one insert web of paper and an envelope web of paper is provided. The method comprises the steps of continuously and automatically: (a) Forming at least one insert from the at least one insert web of paper, including by cutting the insert from the web, and folding the insert, to produce a formed insert. (b) Forming a plurality of interconnected envelope blanks from the envelope web paper. (c) Collecting and placing a plurality of insert sheets, including the formed insert, on each of the plurality of interconnected envelope blanks while they are interconnected, in web form. And then, (d) while conveying the interconnected blanks in web form, severing the interconnected envelope blanks from each other to produce individual blanks, and forming each individual blank around the inserts placed thereon to produce a final mailing envelope containing a plurality of insert sheets.
Step (b) is typically practiced to form each blank so that it has two parallel minor flaps on opposite edges thereof, and after severing has two parallel major flaps on opposite edges. Step (d) is practiced by the substeps of, while conveying the interconnected blanks in a first direction, sequentially (d1) plough folding over the minor flaps; and (d2) severing the leading interconnected blank from the next blank so that both major flaps are free; then changing the direction of conveyance and sequentially (d3) applying adhesive to the major flaps; and (d4) plough folding the major flaps so that adhesive applied thereto comes into contact with the minor flaps and the other major flap, to form a sealed mailing envelope containing inserts. Prior to steps (c) and (d1) the envelope blanks are preferably scored at the minor flaps to facilitate plough folding of the minor flaps, and just prior to step (d3) the blanks are scored at the major flaps.
Typically step (b) is further practiced to form envelope blanks having, after severing, a large major flap and a small major flap, the large and small major flaps having parallel end edges, and each having a pair of side edges generally parallel to the end edges; and wherein step (d3) is practiced by placing adhesive adjacent each of the side edges of the large major flap, and adjacent the end edge of the small major flap. Step (d4) is preferably practiced by first plough folding the large major flap so that the adhesive thereon comes into contact with the minor flap, and then plough folding the small major flap so that the adhesive thereon comes into contact with the large major flap.
Step (a) may be practiced by forming a plurality inserts from a plurality of webs of paper, in which case step (c) is then practiced by aligning the inserts while still in web form, prior to severing into sheets, and folding the aligned sheets together. The folding is preferably practiced by buckle folding immediately after severing.
The invention may also comprise the further step off placing at least one additional, pre-formed, insert on the formed insert just prior to placing the inserts on the envelope web. Alternatively, only insert sheets formed in step (a) may be placed on the envelope web.
Step (b) may also be practiced to die cut a window opening in each envelope blank, in which case steps (a) and (c) are practiced so that variably imaged address information from an insert sheet is placed on the envelope blank so that it is visible through the window opening. Alternatively, the envelope may be preprinted or variably imaged in roll or web form, or may be printed after formation with the outgoing and/or return address.
According to another aspect of the invention a method of automatically forming a mailing envelope with a plurality of contained insert sheets from an envelope web of paper is provided which comprises the steps of continuously and automatically: (a) Forming a plurality of insert sheet. (b) Forming a plurality of interconnected envelope blanks from the envelope web of paper, each blank having a pair of minor flaps generally parallel to each other and on opposite sides of the blank, and, after severing, a pair of major flaps generally parallel to each other and on opposite sides of the blank. (c) Collecting and placing the plurality of insert sheets on each of the plurality of interconnected envelope blanks while they are interconnected, in web form. And then, (d) while conveying the interconnected blanks in web form: (d1) plough folding the minor flaps; (d2) severing the interconnected envelope blanks from each other; (d3) applying adhesive to at least some of the flaps; and (d4) plough folding the major flaps, to form a final mailing envelope with a plurality of inserts therein. Steps (d1) through (d4) are preferably practiced sequentially. Steps (d1) and (d2) are preferably practiced while conveying the envelope blank, with insert sheets thereon, in a first direction, and steps (d3) and (d4) practiced while conveying the envelope blank in a second direction generally transverse to the first direction. There also typically the further step of, after severing each envelope blank, of conveying each blank at a substantially 45.degree. angle with respect to the first direction before conveying it in a second direction.
The invention also contemplates a method of automatically forming a mailing envelope with a plurality of contained insert sheets from a plurality of insert webs of paper, and envelope blank, comprising the steps of continuously, automatically, and sequentially: (a) Variably imaging indicia on at least one of the plurality of insert webs of paper, all of the webs having some indicia thereon. (b) Aligning the insert webs so that the indicia thereon, including given variably imaged indicia, is matched. (c) Cutting the plurality of aligned, matched, insert webs to provide a formed insert having a plurality of insert sheets. (d) Folding the formed insert. (e) Placing the formed insert on an envelope blank. And, (f) while conveying the envelope blank, forming an envelope around the formed insert from the envelope blank, to produce a final mailing envelope containing a plurality of insert sheets.
The invention also contemplates apparatus for practicing each of the above method aspects. The apparatus typically comprises all conventionally available components, although they are arranged in a unique manner, and with unique inter-relationship between components.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the effective high speed production of mailing envelopes stuffed with inserts. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.